going away tomorrow and when you go, go west, for you have relatives
there. If ever danger threatens call my name and I will be on hand to
save you. Distance does not stop my promise. Call me anywhere and I will
come.”
At dawn the next day the couple drank from the spring that filled a
basin on one side of the room and ran out of the other. Then, packing up
a bundle of food, they turned their backs on the morning and journeyed
to the west.
At nightfall they saw in the distance a stream of water that reflected
the light of the moon in a most peculiar way, and coming up to it they
found that its strange gleam resulted from its frozen surface. The creek
did not appear wide and the couple decided that it could be jumped
easily. Running back a short distance each dashed forward and attempted
to leap across, but great was their surprise and chagrin when they
landed on the ice in the middle of the stream, and greater was their
dismay when they began to slide forward. The creek ran down a steep
incline and with great rapidity the two slipped downward over its
surface into the uncertain light. In a moment, however, they saw that
they were headed directly for a great lodge into which the stream
flowed. In desperation they clutched at the ice and endeavored to hold
back but vain was their effort, and in a few moments they had plunged
into the lodge and into the midst of a dozen howling warriors armed with
war clubs.
Surrounding them, the warriors began to brandish their clubs. Death
seemed certain. The couple trembled and believed that death has surely
come. Suddenly the wife started boldly up and shouted:
“De‘o´niot, hagesa!” she cried.
The warriors fell back with cries of dismay at the sound of the magical
name.
In the distance came a signal call, then came a song. It was the battle
song of De‘o´niot. The warriors huddled in the corners of the lodge
quaking with fear. The words of the song became distinct as De‘o´niot
drew nearer.
The couple looked out and saw the man-eater sliding down the incline
holding in his arms a kettle, a bowl and a spoon.
“I will stay here with my meat,” he shouted as he burst into the lodge.
“You had better go on to the village. Your parents and people are there.
Now leave me here and go on.”
The two gladly hurried from the house and toward morning came to a
village when both found friends and relatives.
After the nephew and his wife had lived in their new home for a year,
one by one the children of the settlement began mysteriously to
disappear.
“My uncle surely must be in this vicinity,” reflected the nephew, “I
will go on a hunt for him.”
So the nephew started out and after a time of journeying saw De‘o´niot
leaning over the bank of a creek groaning in agony.
“Oh uncle!” exclaimed the nephew, “what troubles you?”
“Oh nephew,” came the groaning reply, “I have eaten many children and am
very sick. My belly is hurt with pain as if by claws clutching inside.”
“Cheer up uncle, I can cure you. Only obey my instructions.”
The nephew made a soup of fish bones and skins and fed it to his uncle.
He continued this treatment for three days, until De‘o´niot had
disgorged. By this time he was ravenous and begged for food and new
clothing, for his old rags were very foul. The nephew bade him strip and
plunge in the water and bathe himself. Then, after giving him some new
clothing he fed him on a little corn pudding, gradually increasing the
allowance at each meal and each time moving the camp nearer the village.
“You must now learn to cook, uncle,” said the nephew, “then you will
forget your unnatural appetite. God made men above all creatures, uncle,
and gave them great skill. Men are not made to devour one another, or
for beasts to devour, but beasts are food for men. So now, promise never
to touch the meat of mankind again.”
“Aye, never more will I eat of human flesh or the raw flesh of any
creature but only fruits and roots and cooked meat!”
So the nephew brought him into the village and introduced him as his
uncle from afar. And the uncle grew so fond of this nephew’s wife’s
cooking that he married a woman to have a cook for himself.
36. A YOUTH’S DOUBLE ABUSES HIS SISTER.
There was a lodge in the forest where very few people ever came, and
there dwelt a young man and his sister. The youth was unlike other
persons for one half of his head had hair of a reddish cast, while the
other side was black.
He used to leave his sister in the lodge and go away on long hunting
trips. On one occasion the young woman, his sister, saw, so she thought,
her brother coming down the path to the lodge. “I thought you just went
away to hunt,” said the sister. “Oh, I thought I would come back,” said
he.
Then he sat down on the bed with the sister and embraced her and acted
as a lover. The sister reproached him and said that she was very angry.
But again he endeavored to fondle her in a familiar way, but again was
repulsed. This time he went away.
The next day the brother returned and found his sister very angry. She
would scarcely speak to him, though hitherto she had talked a great
deal.
“My sister,” said he. “I am at loss to know why you treat me thus. It is
not your custom.”
“Oh you ought to know that you have abused me,” said the girl.
“I never abused you. What are you talking about?” he said.
“Oh you know that you embraced me in an improper way yesterday,” said
the sister.
“I was not here yesterday,” asserted the youth. “I believe that my
friend who resembles me in every respect has been here.”
“You have given a poor excuse,” replied his sister. “I hope your actions
will not continue.”
Soon the brother went away again, stating that he would be absent three
days. In a short time the sister saw, as she thought, a figure looking
like her brother skulking in the underbrush. His shirt and leggings were
the same as her brother’s and his hair was the same. So then she knew
that her brother had returned for mischief. Soon he entered the lodge
and embraced her, and this time in anger she tore his cheeks with her
nails and sent him away.
In three days the brother returned with a deer, but his sister would not
speak to him. Said he, “My sister, I perceive that you are angry at me.
Has my friend been here?”
It was some time before the sister replied, and then she wept, saying,
“My brother, you have abused me and I scratched your face. I perceive
that it is still torn by my finger nails.”
“Oh, my face,” laughed the brother. “My face was torn by thorns as I
hunted deer. If you scratched my friend that is the reason I am
scratched. Whatever happens to either one of us happens to the other.”
But the sister would not believe this.
Again the brother went on a hunting trip, and again the familiar figure
returned. This time the sister tore his hunting shirt from the throat
down to the waist line. Moreover she threw a ladle of hot bear grease on
the shirt. This caused his quick departure.
Returning in due time the brother brought in his game and threw it down.
Again the sister was angry and finally accused him. Pointing to his
grease-smeared torn shirt she said that this was evidence enough.
“Oh my sister,” explained the brother. “I tore my shirt on a broken limb
as I climbed a tree after a raccoon. In making soup from bear meat I
spilled it on my shirt.” Still the sister refused to believe him.
“Oh my sister,” said the brother, in distressed tones. “I am greatly
saddened to think you will not believe me. My friend looks exactly as I
do, and whatever happens to him happens to me. I shall now be compelled
to find my friend and bring him to you and when I do I shall be
compelled to kill him before you for his evil designs upon you. If you
would believe me nothing evil would befall us, but I now think I myself
shall die.”
The sister said nothing for she would not believe her brother.
The brother now began to pile up dried meat and to repair the lodge. He
then went out into the forest without his bow and arrows, and in a short
time returned with another man exactly resembling him, and whose
clothing was spotted and torn in a similar way. Leading him to the lodge
fire he began to scold him in an angry manner. “You have betrayed me and
abused my sister,” he said. “Now is the time for you to die.” Taking out
an arrow from a quiver he cast it into the heart of his double and
killed him. The sister saw her assailant fall to the floor, and then
looked up as she heard her brother give a war cry and fall as dead with
blood streaming from a wound in his chest over his heart.
37. MURDERED DOUBLE SPEAKS THROUGH FIRE.
(SECOND PART OF A YOUTH’S DOUBLE.)
After lying as dead for a time the youth’s inherent magic began to bring
about a restoration of life. Soon he sat up and looked at his sister.
Then he spoke.
“Oh my sister,” he said. “The mother of my friend will shortly come for
him, believing him married to you. We must dispose of my friend’s body
and when the woman comes we must act as if we were husband and wife.”
The youth now removed the stones of the fireplace and dug a deep hole
beneath. In this he buried the body of his slain friend, smoothed the
earth and restored the ring of stones. He now rekindled the fire, and
all trace of the murder was wiped away.
After a while footsteps were heard and the door was flung back. A witch
woman looked into the lodge, and seeing someone that resembled her son
standing closely to a young woman, the witch said, “I now perceive that
I have a daughter-in-law.”
Thereupon the fire began to flicker and a voice came clearly from it,
saying, “My friend has killed me, my friend has killed me.”
“Wu‘!” exclaimed the witch mother, “What words is your fire speaking?”
“Oh, my mother, pay no attention to the fire,” said the youth. “The fire
thus speaks because I scrape the blood from my arrows into it.” So
saying he scraped an arrow into the fire and it spoke as before, “My
friend has killed me.”
The witch was disturbed and requested her pretended son to return to his
maternal lodge bringing his wife with him. The youth now told his sister
that the simulation of married life must be above suspicion, and then
together all three went to the lodge of the witch.
As they sat down the pet owl of the lodge began to hoot. “The stranger
has taken to wife his younger sister.” The old woman looked up and asked
what the meaning of this omen might be, whereupon the youth answered,
“It is because you have not fed the owl. I now give it meat.” The owl
was then satisfied and continued to speak its accustomed notes.
That night the youth slept with his sister. As he entered the sleeping
apartment the owl screamed as before, “It is not this one; this one
takes to wife his younger sister.”
The youth called out, “Give no heed to this owl, he is hungry,” and he
flung it more meat. Nevertheless the witch woman was suspicious and
resolved to watch the couple.
During the night she spied through the curtain covering the bed, but the
boy and his sister were simulating sleep, though arranged in an
affectionate attitude. The old witch then placed her hand in the bed and
under the covers, touching the couple, and she was then satisfied that
the two were married.
Early in the morning the youth whispered to his sister that they must
make their escape or the witch would discover the truth and kill them.
Together the two went out of the lodge and the youth taking out his
medicine pouch thrust his hand into it and took out a small dog which he
tapped with a red rod. The dog grew in size with every tap until it was
large enough to carry a human being. Placing his sister on the dog, the
youth said, “Go forward and let nothing turn you aside. The dog will
carry you to the lodge where is our refuge.”
The dog ran forward but after a long tedious journey the sister
dismounted to rest, and seeing a pretty bird fluttering just before her,
began to chase it. It finally flew out of sight and when she returned to
find the dog it had disappeared. She then remembered her brother’s
warning and stumbled forward hoping to find relief.
Meanwhile the brother ran on to the refuge but when he reached the lodge
he found that his sister had not come. Some one was coming, however, for
he heard footsteps. He looked and saw the witch approaching. “Where is
she?” cried the witch, “Where is my daughter-in-law?” The youth was
perplexed, but answered, “She is coming, you must have passed them.”
“I cannot rest,” said the witch, “for your pet owls continually say, ‘It
is another and she is his sister.’”
The youth now perceived that he must escape the witch and so he asked
her where she was going. “To your lodge,” she called as she sped onward
over the trail.
The youth hurried forward over a shorter trail and reached the lodge
before the witch. “Where is my daughter-in-law?” yelled the old woman as
she entered the lodge.
“She has returned to the other lodge,” answered the youth.
“It is another one,” sang the fireplace, and then added, “My friend has
killed me and taken his younger sister to wife.”
“I must meet my wife,” said the youth as he hurried away. He knew that
he must now make his escape.
The witch was now thoroughly suspicious and dug into the fireplace. Soon
she discovered her son and saw that indeed he had been killed. Burying
him in another place she ran to her own lodge and took her witch charms,
invoking them to give her power. To make herself mighty she drank the
oil of hickory nuts. To test her power she smote a hickory tree but her
blows only loosened all the bark. Drinking more oil she struck the tree
again, reducing it to splinters. Now feeling confident she transformed
herself into a Niă’´gwahē and started in pursuit of the youth, crying,
“You cannot escape me.”
When the youth found himself closely pressed he threw out a handful of
pigeon feathers ordering them to become a monster flock of pigeons and
to make the ground beneath them impassable. Immediately pigeons flew
thickly in the air and covered the ground with an impassable slime in
which the witch wallowed until exhausted, when she swooned. When she
recovered the youth was far away and only a few pigeon feathers could be
seen on the ground.
Again she caught sight of him and cried out as is the custom for the
Niă’´gwahĕ beast, “You cannot escape me.” This time the youth cast a
white stone in the path and commanded that it become an impassable cliff
that stretched from ocean to ocean. Against this the witch batted her
head until she swooned. Awakening she saw only a small quartz pebble and
in anger arose again in pursuit, crying as she caught up to him, “You
cannot escape me.”
The youth was now sorely pressed but in running along the trail he saw
an old man. “I am your uncle,” said the old man. “Run onward to your
mother’s lodge, and meanwhile I will protect you.” The youth ran on and
the old uncle caused a vast field of sharpened posts to spring up,
making a terrible barrier to the onrushing Niă’´gwahĕ.
The youth passed another old man who called out to him, “I am your
uncle. Run onward to your mother’s lodge, and meanwhile I will protect
you.” This was reassuring, for just then the witch came into view and
cried, “You cannot escape me.” Then the witch monster ran directly into
a net-like entanglement and with wild rage floundered about until it had
freed itself.
Meanwhile the youth was speeding forward. Soon he saw a handsome lodge
before him and into this he ran. There he found his sister and the dog,
an older woman, a younger woman and another youth.
“Protect me,” cried the pursued youth looking at the inmates of the
lodge. “Niă’´gwahē pursues me.”
“I am your mother, my son,” said the oldest woman. “I will save you from
trouble.”
Taking up a pot of boiling bear’s oil she waited until the witch beast
had thrust its head into the lodge when she threw the oil full in the
creature’s face. It gave a great snort and fell down dead.
The mother came up to the youth, saying, “Here is your older brother and
older sister. Your younger sister and your dog came here and found me.
We are all now safe and are reunited, so now all is well and I am
thankful.”
38. THE VAMPIRE CORPSE.[39]
An old man had a house far back in the woods, a long ways from any
village. It stood in the midst of a good hunting ground. The old man
always welcomed any hunting party and provided them with all the
utensils necessary for curing their meats and tanning their pelts. It
seemed however, that the place was haunted by an evil spirit that
delighted to inflict those who tarried there with very bad dreams, and
sometimes it killed them by sucking out their blood like a weasel.
One time, so it is said, a man and his wife and child went to this
hunting ground and went to the lodge of Taiiani Gowa, the old man of the
solitudes, to ask for shelter. Now when he called there was no answer
and so he entered and found Taiiani Gowa dead in a bark coffin. This
coffin had been prepared long before and Taiiani Gowa having a
premonition of coming death had crawled in his box and died; so the man
said.
Now it was nightfall and the man lay down beside his wife and baby to
pass the night. Toward the hour of midnight the woman was awakened by a
sound of gnawing,—cautiously she looked about and sliding out her hand
on the floor felt a warm pool of blood. Quickly she realized what had
occurred. The old man was dead but his evil spirit was making him
conform to its vampire appetite. It was chewing off the face of her
husband. But she did not scream, instead she said carefully, “Husband,
our child wishes water, you are too sleepy to care for her while I go
for some, so I will take her with me, give her a drink and soon return.”
With these words she arose and went out carrying a bowl with her. She
ran to the spring, dropped the bowl and then ran toward home as fast as
her strength gave her ability for running. “Unless I hasten,” she
thought, “the tcĭs´gä will overtake and devour me. I heard him go back
to his coffin, but his hunger will soon return and he will come for us,
and finding us missing, will pursue us. Oh my baby, we must hurry!”
An echo of a loud cry sounded through the silent forest and the woman
caught the words, “She has deceived me!” Then she knew that the tcĭs´gä
had started on her track. She heard him at the spring, so she used all
her speed to escape him, but presently she heard a growling close behind
her and heard him exclaim, “Ah you cannot escape me!” Unloosening her
skirt she flung it on a swinging branch and hurrying on, hear the
tcĭs´gä crying, “Ah now I have you!” Then he tore the garment into
shreds and found out his mistake. So then he ran screaming on. When he
had neared her again she threw her blanket upon a log and ran on. The
tcĭs´gä stopped and whooped because he was very angry. Then he chewed up
the blanket but finding no blood rushed on after his victim, only to be
delayed again and again by the same trick. After a time she had stripped
herself and her baby of all their clothing and she was nearly exhausted,
with the tcĭs´gä close upon her; then she heard the sound of drumming
across a little valley and crying “Gowe^n‘” she ran on. The sentinel
outside the long house heard her cry and gathering a number of warriors
about him, ran at full speed toward the cry of distress. Each warrior
bore a flaming torch the lights of which confused the pursuing tcĭs´gä
and gave hope to the woman. Throwing their robes about her the warriors
carried her to the long house where after reviving her from her faint,
they heard her story. Then said the chief, “If her story is true we must
keep the lights burning and dance till morning for the tcĭs´gä may
return and kill us all; on the morrow we will send a party to examine
the lodge of Taiiani Gowa and find out what the trouble is.” So the
dance continued all night and in the morning a party headed by the chief
went to the lodge of Taiiani Gowa and found the dead man in his coffin
and the husband with his face chewed clean to the skull. Then the chief
stepped to the side of the coffin and said, “We have come to make a
great ceremony. We will bind up your box and then have our ceremony.”
The warriors bound up the coffin with their strongest ropes and piled it
high with brush and logs. Then a torch was applied and the coffin was
surrounded by flames. The old man could not escape although he
threatened terrible results for he could not pass outside of the flames.
So his head burst and a white rabbit ran forth into the underbrush,
eluding all the arrows of the warriors and escaping. Then did the people
prove that Tiaiiani Gowa was a wizard and discover the form of his evil
spirit. Likewise they knew why his guests became sick. He was a bad
spirit.
VIII.
TALES OF TALKING ANIMALS
39. THE MAN WHO EXHALED FIRE—HIS DOGS AND THE WOLVES.[40]
Now this is great.
A man had a dog and was always kind to it and the dog loved the man. Now
this man would smoke tobacco after he had eaten his evening meal. Smoke
issued from his mouth and sparks of fire flew from his pipe. The dog
noticed this.
The man was a hunter and had large stores of meat hung up on poles and
stored in his lodge. This was fortunate for the man because game was now
very scarce. The wolves about were ravenous. They came from great
distances toward the lodge of the hunter because they smelled his meat.
The hunter’s dog saw them and asked them what they intended to do. They
answered that they were hungry and intended to kill the hunter and eat
his meat. They also advised the dog to keep away for they surely would
kill his brother (the man) and also him if he interfered or warned his
master. This worried the good dog and he thought some time how he could
save his brother. So he spoke and said, “You can never kill my brother.
He is too great a wizard. He has the greatest charms on earth. He eats
fire and blows it from his mouth with clouds of smoke. Beware, I tell
you,—do not attempt to injure him, for if you do he will torture you in
the flames. You will be unable to escape for the smell of his fire
travels a great distance and is great magic. If you do not believe me
come and look after the evening meal and see for yourselves.”
Then did the wolves laugh and say, “You are somewhat of a liar but we
will come and see.”
The dog was very angry then.
When evening came the wolves gathered around the hunter’s lodge and
watched him eat his meal. When he had finished they saw him take a brand
of flaming fire and put it to his face. Then he waved the flame in front
of his face and it disappeared. Then smoke in volumes issued from his
mouth because the fire must have entered his stomach and be burning.
Sparks flew in the wind and they smelled the smoke of the fire. They had
never seen such a performance before and were frightened. So they did
not dare attack the man at night. They ran back in the forest and hid.
The next day the dog went and found them. Then the wolves said, “We can
not kill your brother, he is too great a conjurer. His power is too much
for us to fight. We are glad you told us.”
Now this was all right. The dog did not tell his master but defended him
with his wits. If one is kind to a dog he will never know how many times
the dog will save him from danger and death. That is all.
40. THE TURTLE’S WAR PARTY.[41]
Turtles have never done anything wonderful since the foundation of the
world. This is what a discontented turtle thought. “Now it is for me to
show myself a leader of warriors and thus bring glory to the turtles.”
Thus the turtle set about to devise a song by which he should call
volunteers together. After a prolonged study he composed a tune and
chose the words of a stirring war song, crawled into his canoe and
paddled down the river, singing as he went.
A wolf running along the shore lifted his head and pricked his ears as
he heard this odd song floating down the river, and listening, caught
its import. When the turtle came near he began to yelp.
“I am a famous warrior and will volunteer,” he shouted.
The turtle grounded his canoe and crawled up the bank to inspect his
would-be recruit.
“Well, what can you do, wolf?” said he.
“Oh ho! I can run,” said the wolf and then started off at a furious pace
and returning asked what impression he had made.
“Now it seems to me,” answered the turtle as he started to turn around,
“you would be very apt to desert me when I most needed your support, so
I say good-bye.”
Going back to his canoe he tumbled in and paddled down the stream, once
more singing.
A fox barked and waving his brush signalled the singing turtle.
“I will be your follower for I am a cunning warrior,” said the fox.
Pushing the canoe ashore the turtle flopped out and ambled up to the
fox.
“Now warrior,” said he, “show me your excellence.”